ENP Athletes To Compete At City Of Perth Regatta

ISAF Sailing World Championships 2011

Perth, Australia

Athletes engaged in the Perth 2011 Emerging Nations Programme will compete against local talent in the City of Perth Sailing Regatta to be held on Sunday 24 October 2010 at 13:00.

Deputy Lord Mayor, The Honourable John Tognolini, will be attending the event on behalf of the City of Perth. The City of Perth Sailing Regatta will be a proud moment for the city, bringing together more than 20 athletes from eleven nations, building on the vision "that as the Capital of Western Australia, the City of Perth be widely acclaimed as a city of international significance".

"It is an honour for Perth to be the venue for such an important yachting event. The location on Perth Water is ideal for spectators to see elite junior sailors up-close and showing their skills. It will be a taste of what is to come with the ISAF championships later. I urge people to come along & watch this international event here in our great sporting city," said The Deputy Lord Mayor, The Honourable John Tognolini.

The competition will mark the end of a 21 day gruelling Emerging Nations Camp for the eleven athletes from Moldova, Cook Islands, India, Trinidad and Tobago, Peru, Colombia, Chinese Taipei, Pakistan, Philippines and Guatemala, and will be the last opportunity for athletes to compete before the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships test event in three weeks time.

Emerging Nations Coach and Olympic Gold Medallist, Belinda Stowell, "Each athlete has developed enormously over the five Emerging Nations Camps. The training in Australia has given each athlete the experience required to allow them to mature, and gain the confidence and knowledge to compete at a world class standard."

"We have opened our arms to the world and shared Australia's technologies and techniques with them. It is now time for each athlete to accept the challenge of competition and use the knowledge we have transferred to perform," said Stowell.

Coaches Belinda Stowell and Arthur Brett will closely follow each athlete's performance and award points towards the prestigious "TAG Heuer Rising Star Award" which will be presented at the completion of the seventh Emerging Nations Camp next November 2011. The award recognises the athlete with the best performance and potential to continue their journey towards the Olympic success.

Perth water ways is an ideal location for spectators to watch the action packed racing, with viewing places all around the city foreshore and Kings Park. The public are welcome to watch the racing from their own boats and get amongst the racing.